IMHO, if he and\or anyone of his family are charged with any crime, Trump will issue sweeping pardons that include his entire family as well as anyone directly linked to the Russian scandal. He may even pardon everyone involved, and immediately resign, knowing that nobody will come after him once he no longer president.

It's up for debate if he is legally allowed to pardon himself and the courts will certainly have to decide if he can if he actually tries to do so.

When it comes to his family, friends, campaign associates, etc. - yes, he has the absolute and unquestioned authority to pardon anyone for any federal crime. He does not, however, have the authority to grant pardons for state crimes. Don't get too excited though, because colluding with a hostile foreign government is most certainly a federal and not a state crime.

I would like to think the Supreme Court would rule that a President cannot pardon himself, but nothing surprises me when it comes to this court anymore. I wouldn't be surprised in the least if they would rule that a President does have the authority to pardon himself. Well...as long as the President is a Republican.

This is yet another reason why I loathe "Bernie or Bust" and Jill Stein voters. Their selfishness is why we now have a neanderthal as a President, Republicans controlling Congress, and a Supreme Court seat stolen by the Republican Party.

Now why didn't former president Clinton think of that? All he would have had to do was own up to adultery (not a crime) and pardon himself for acting like a loose cannon.

But, don't expect Trump to own up to anything, and don't expect him to quit. He could be impeached, and capital police would be dragging him from the white house kicking and screaming "I am not a crook!" If he is forcibly removed from office, Pence would most assuredly pardon him, and we'd end up with a bible thumper to finish the term. But then, what about Pence? What did he know, and when did he know it? He must have been privy to some of this stuff.

This is yet another reason why I loathe "Bernie or Bust" and Jill Stein voters. Their selfishness is why we now have a neanderthal as a President, Republicans controlling Congress, and a Supreme Court seat stolen by the Republican Party.

I view these left wing voters to be a mirror image of Trump voters, the difference is just political views, other than that, their methods are the same. They view the opposing side as "The enemy" and see it as war where they must break the will and then punish the other side. Both sides have a winner to take all perspective, and losers are to be striped of all political influence. If it worked the way both sides (think) they want the polical system to to operate, Hillary Clinton would be in jail right now simply because she was on the losing side.